DIY Custom LED light build

[YYCannabis]

Honestly, for great bang-for-buck strips you can buy these
https://www.digikey.ca/product-detai...0E1500-C-C3-ND and grow some pretty good plants. Low power. Hang em low. Run em cool. They also come in other color K plus lengths of 1ft, 2ft and 4ft. Cheap and easy. Very affordable way to flood a tent with light and save money on your power bill.

😁

There’s a lot of tech and spectrum info out there. But let’s face it, it can be absolute overkill for growing a weed in a closet that could be grown using fluorescent tubes. 🤣 I’m doing a slightly more expensive route with better quality led emitters...which does matter in the spectrum world...just because I’m a geek 😁 I’m not worried about getting the ultimate spectrum and photon flux at an exact number on each and every leaf like some people are trying to achieve.

[YYCannabis]

Watch these 3 vids. This guy is a professor in Utah and knows his stuff. He doesn’t talk a whole lot about cannabis, but the principles he covers still apply.

https://youtu.be/UZO8Fb0ryW8

https://youtu.be/gHOJQmYFW1A

https://youtu.be/dXkYPN3HD6A

[Gingerbeard]

Thanks for that YY. I watched a few minutes of the first video. He drew a graph. I like graphs. I'll see if I can get my computer to talk to my TV I'll go big screen and take notes.
You're right about needs and wants. I have no need to replace my LED. When the time comes, I want to give myself another option. Try a different grow style.

[YYCannabis]

I’m still on my first grow. I’m using an Amazon blurple light and get really good growth (my first harvest is only a couple weeks away). I really don’t need to change it out other than the fact I’ve educated myself a bit about lighting. My current light will either get sold off of put in storage as emergency backup.

[Farmall]

YYCannabis i was looking at the charts you posted... you’re strips are actually about .1 higher in relative intensity... spectrum is nearly the same. Impressive. Fortunately, I run them turned down but I like your selection . Have you fired them up yet? When I did mine my wife ran in and thought something happened... like a white flash so intense...marvelous !

[YYCannabis]

This is as far as I’ve got. Weekday evenings are tough to get the time I need to keep working on it. This weekend should be full install.

*Note that these are only 5 of 20 strips

[YYCannabis]

FINALLY!!

Magic life giving pixies!! All wires up and installed. Getting it into place and working is such a relief.

In the final updates I show some of the terrible skills I have at wiring, and what I finally decided to do with the drivers.

Here’s some click-bait pics to tease you with

Cheers
YYC

[Gingerbeard]

I may not have understood a lick of what you put together, but that is beautiful, man. Simply beautiful. The whole setup.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Looking good YYCannabis this go around I'm using HLG, quantum board in a small 2-2-4tent, do they make small strips, less than 2feet long, that I could use on the sides, down low.
Thanks

[YYCannabis]

Strips actual length is 22” I’m not sure if Cutter has 1’ strips, but there are strips from. Bridgelux and Samsung available in 1’ size. They’re cheap as beans to buy and could be used as side lights.

[D.A.A.S.69]

YYCannabis Thanks man. This is my first time using quantum boards, seems to me like they got great penetration.
But I'd still like to get 4 strips ,for the lower branches, even though I probably don't need them, in that small tent, but I'm getting them anyway.
Thanks again.
HappyGrowing.

[Gingerbeard]

I'm using a 350 watt LED and considering a QB for vegging or flowering. Would it be better to LED for veg or flower and QB for veg or flower. Any opinions? Probably not. Not a single opinion in here.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Gingerbeard I wish i could help , but I don't know,lol
I've used leds,hps, cmh, this is my first grow with them quantum boards, but so far, I'm kinda impressed with it, very little heat with it, very bright too.

[YYCannabis]

I can’t really speculate about QBs since I’ve never seen one. But there is a wide range of Kelvin color LED strips. Use 5000k or higher led strips for small veg tent, then 2800k or 3000k strips for flower. For extra flowering kick, simply add a few extra emitters for far-red to help fatten the buds.

[YYCannabis]

Here’s a few upskirt shots to show the light coming down through the plants. I did a moderate defoliation last week because the girls were very dense. Humidity was becoming an issue.

[YYCannabis]

And a few more pics of everything fully in place.

[Farmall]

YYCannabis congratulations on your completed install...! Are your drivers constant current or constant voltage and are they mounted remotely outside of the tent? You are going to be quite happy I’m sure.

On my photoboost I’ve used a 15ft power cable to the drivers and a 10ft dc feed to the strips. I have some blue boosters and Emerson red strips I am going to add optionally to see if that makes a difference. Still only running with the 100k pots around 50-55%. Using a non-contact thermometer the heat sinks hit 77F and the drivers about 96-100F. Overall inside tent temps are about 75F. Comparatively, the 315CMH temps run 68F inside but it’s a smaller 40” square tent 7’ tall. I’m hoping you have a chance to take some temperature measurements. My exhaust fan is the Cloudline t6 in both tents but obviously one is 60% smaller so the t6 is powered down a lot slower.

once again, congratulations...I can see the difference in your photos

[YYCannabis]

Farmall Im running 4 x ELG-150-48B drivers mounted outside the tent. (See pics). I’m seeing temps of approx 90-97F on the drivers. I’ll have to get temps on the strip heatsinks.

What are you using for the Emerson effect to turn the red lights on before the main lights? How much sooner do the reds turn on?

Cheers
YYC

[YYCannabis]

Heatsinks on the strips are around 72-78F

[Farmall]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G7YY7NN/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_tai_Z3IYDb

These are dual plug command timers....use tp link version....

Better:

Alexa Smart Plug,Wireless Smart WiFi Timer Outlet Light APP Remote Control Switch with USB... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQ38QS6...sms_tai_w6IYDb

[YYCannabis]

I’ve always been hesitant with smart plugs and stuff like that. I might have to reconsider that.

[Farmall]

YYCannabis every light I’ve had usually came with a timer of some sort plus the ones with the pull out red and green tabs I’ve used all my life. During ANY period I have HAD to depend on them, they would some how screw up. As we both know, that can be a problem of monumental consequences in this activity. I bought a few TP-Link units and in the last 3 -4 yrs, they have performed flawlessly....once I saw the ones with the dual plugs and now even a power strip I’m hooked. On the duals, each plug has their own programmable scheduling. The phone app or iPad is simple to use and the schedule function makes it effortless. I’ll never go back to a mechanical timer again. In running over 40 strips, they all go on/off at the exact same time and I’m using 4 duals to control them.. and I really mean exact same time.

You don’t need Alexa, just wifi

[YYCannabis]

SOLD!
I need to order some now 😁

[Farmall]

Easy to setup and you won’t be disappointed.... again, congratulations...I’m too old to be so excited over this kid of crap but, I just can’t help it 🤓